In a checkout kiosk with a security gate, when an item is determined to be stolen, an alarm in the security gate is often activated. However, the same item can be detected and processed multiple times within a short amount of time despite the fact that the alarm is already activated or that the item stolen is known. This is problematic because detecting and processing the same item wastes available resources.
Furthermore, checkout kiosks are often static and do not provide the patron with information related to the item that the patron is purchasing. This could prevent the patron from receiving valuable information regarding the item and inhibit his or her ability to fully acquire all of the items he or she wants and also prevents a store from maximizing the sale of the item or related items.
In addition, checkout kiosks often do not provide clear indication of when an item has been purchased. Thus, a patron may accidentally leave the store thinking he has purchased an item without actually purchasing the item. Furthermore, the patron may have purchased the item, but without the checkout kiosk actually acknowledging the purchase. Thus, the patron may not intend to steal the item or may not have stolen the item yet the security kiosk will be activated unexpectedly for the patron.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for techniques for a system that selectively activates an alarm when an item is determined to be stolen, engages the user regarding the purchase of the item, and informs the user of the purchase status of the item.